Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication - Essay Example

Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication Communication is defined as the process of delivering a message to another person or group. It is the process through which information is shared and understood by people. During interpersonal communication, there can be difficulties that act as hindrances for the proper flow of messages. These are known as barriers. Barriers Emotions Emotions have the power to affect the clarity with which people express themselves. A person has the tendency to communicate differently depending on the mood that he is in. when feeling calm and loving, a person might speak differently as compared to when he or she is angry or scared. (Agricultural Communications, 1999) Emotion is a strong force. When people are emotional, it usually makes communication ineffective because they cannot think clearly. For instance, a person who is very angry might use words that show frustration and anger that might end up delivering the wrong message to the recipient. Moreover, sometimes, the recipient might only hear the words, but miss out the feelings attached to them. For instance, “I am not bothered” might project unhappiness, fear, boredom, or other similar feelings. It is therefore very important for the recipient to not only hear the words being communicated, but also to combine the words and the feelings together in order to understand the message properly. It is also possible that a person, overpowered by emotions, may have his or her mind made up before the communication even starts (Samson & Daft, 2003). For example, an individual who is angry about a subject and about to start an argument with somebody on that very topic will not be ready to compromise on his beliefs. This will make the other person’s efforts of communication ineffective and communication will fail. Perceptions Each person is different. Due to the different background of experiences in life, every person has a different and unique way of looking at the world. In other words, everyone has a different perception of things around him or her. When a person receives a message, he has a unique way of interpreting the message based on his learning and understanding. This difference in perception can become a barrier for effective communication. (Agricultural Communications, 1999) This barrier can be characterized by a lack of common experience. This also includes the difference in lack of common linguistics. If the parties are not familiar with each others’ languages and vocabularies, then communication will not be effective. Moreover, it is important to understand that a difference in perception can also result because of unclear and incomplete messages and sentences used. Physical Barrier Physical barriers include hindrances due to the difference in territories, environmental health, physical health and poor hearing. Environmental disturbances include any kind of noise that might act as hindrance to make the communication ineffective. Examples include traffic noise, loud speakers, distortions, and other unwanted noise (Tanwar, Nellissery, Singh, Khavshe, & Shah, 2009). A person’s health plays an important role in effective communication as well. For somebody who is ill, thinking, listening and speaking clearly might be a problem. Also, he or she could be in pain or facing other weaknesses to affect the quality and effectiveness of communication. Moreover, a person might suffer from poor hearing for any given reason, which would obviously effect communication. Medium Used It is important to select the right kind of channel for communication depending on the needs. Selecting the wrong channel could become a problem. For instance, communication where emotions contribute a significant proportion, a face-to-face conveying should be preferred instead of communication through writing. However, to deliver routine messages in organizations, it is more feasible to use a print medium or electronic medium for transmission as it saves time and cost and does not need tailoring for individual recipients. Semantics The meaning of the words and the way they are used is referred to as Semantics. Different words might have different meanings to different people. A simple word like “effectiveness” might mean high production levels to a factory supervisor, whereas to a human resource manager, it might mean employee motivation and satisfaction. Many common words have, on an average, 28 different meanings (Samson & Daft, 2003). People sometimes use the wrong words and end up delivering the wrong message. This is the reason why, sometimes, you might notice that the recipient does not understand what you are saying and, so, you might consider rephrasing your message and use different words to clarify the message. (Agricultural Communications, 1999) Culture An individual’s behavioral patterns are strongly influenced by his or her cultural background. In today’s world of globalization where different cultures are coming together, it is extremely important to understand how varying cultures can pose a threat to effective communication. Cultures shape up the thinking and perception of people. Even when using the same language, different cultures might interpret different words differently. Moreover, cultures also teach individuals different behaviors and different rules that affect the verbal and nonverbal communication (Cultural Barriers to Effective Communication). For instance, in some cultures, looking directly in the eye while talking might be considered offensive. Similarly, cultures also teach individuals how close to stand when talking to the other person. Moreover, different cultures have different ways of displaying emotions. For instance, in some cultures, debating on an issue is so emotional that they might cry, yell or exhibit anger during the argument. All these cultural traits can influence the effectiveness of communication to a great deal and must be given due consideration. Overcoming Communication Barriers Handling Differing Emotions As discussed previously, every message delivered consists of two things; the words that hold the meaning, and the emotions. Also, it was discussed that sometimes, an individual can be overpowered by his emotions and might not be able to deliver the message with the meaning he intended. Similarly, when an angry person is on the receiving end, he might ignore or distort the message that is communicated to him. This does not mean that to deal with emotions, communication should be avoided. However, it is important to make sure that both, as a sender and as a receiver, you understand the potential for miscommunication that arises due to emotional fluctiations. (Hahn) One should be well aware of his emotional state when involved in interpersonal communication. The sender must make sure that he chooses his words wisely and remains in control and not let his emotions overshadow his words. He must also see for clues in the receiver of emotional extremes and must tailor his words and sentences accordingly. Also, if the receiver is not ready to be a part of the conversation, the sender might consider avoiding the conversation or postponing it to a latter, more appropriate time. Differing Perception (Perception Barrier and Semantics Barrier) Everywhere around us, we are bombarded with different kinds of information. This information could be in the shape of sound, sight, scent, taste, and so on. This array of information is arranged by our minds in the shape of a mental map that reprensts our perception. Everyone has a differnet perception. Even if two people have had the same experience, their way of looking at it would differ. This makes communication of ideas very difficult between two people because their interpretation of it would differ. The difference in perception also gives rise to the problem of Semantics in communcation. The way to deal with both these situations is to develop understanding through active listening. The communication process should include asking questions and showing interest from both the parties. The receiver could also, occasionally, paraphrase what he understood by the message and give feedback to the sender to ensure that both the parties are on the same ground. (Samson & Daft, 2003) Physical Barriers In the real world, these barriers can not be eliminated completely. However, precautionary measures to minimize the effects of noise could be used. Examples of such measures include sound proof conference rooms, sound proof ear phones, and so on. Also, adequate consideration should be given to people with hearing difficulties or other illnesses to ensure that, during the communcation process, they remain on the same grounds as other people. Medium Used Individuals should choose communication channels wisely so the message is delivered and understood preoperly. The more complicated the message is, the richer the channel should be. For instance, complicated messages could be transmitted through a face-to-face communication. Whereas, routine messages in organizations could be sent through memos and email because less customization is required and there are lesser chances of misunderstanding as the message is simple. Different Backgrounds It is clearly agreed upon that differences in backgrounds pose a serious threat to communication and are one of the toughest barriers to overcome. Culture, gender, education, social status, economic status and other backgrounds that shape up the personality of human beings and make them different from each other can act as a hindrance to effective communication. The way to overcome this barrier is to have an understanding and respect for other people’s history and culture. One should not try to project his culture onto others (Hahn). There should be admiration for each other’s culture and a relationship of trust and friendliness between the different cultures must be promoted in order to eradicate the issues of racism and the barrier of differing backgrounds as a whole. Conclusion Interpersonal Communication is an important skill in today’s world. In today’s world of globalization, cultures from all over the world are coming together. When different kinds of people from different parts of the world, following different cultures, interact with each other, there is a high potential for miscommunication amongst them. Therefore, for success in today’s world, it is extremely important to polish one’s skills of interpersonal communication by understanding the barriers and knowing how to overcome them. References Agricultural Communications, T. T. (1999, December). Family Focus - Barriers to Interpersonal Communication. Retrieved January 9, 2010, from http://www.okcareertech.org/cimc/titles/lifeskills-comm/Resources/CommUnit2/commbarriers.pdf Cultural Barriers to Effective Communication. (n.d.). Retrieved January 9, 2010, from http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/problem/cultrbar.htm Hahn, M. (2005, December 29). Overcoming Communication Barriers Between People. Retrieved January 9, 2010, from Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?Overcoming-Communication-Barriers-Between-People&id=119628 Jain, R. (2008, May 29). The Barriers to Effective Communication. Retrieved January 9, 2010, from Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Barriers-to-Effective-Communication&id=1210011 Samson, D., & Daft, R. L. (2003). Management. Nelson Australia Pty Ltd. Tanwar, K., Nellissery, B., Singh, R., Khavshe, B., & Shah, V. (2009, January 18). Barriers to Communication. Retrieved January 9, 2010, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/10868863/Barriers-to-Communication Read More